Fade To Black
by IceFire
Summary: *D/H Slash* Draco and Harry are in Azkaban as Death Eaters? Percy, Percy, Percy, what *were* you thinking? But when Draco's friend from Hogwarts who is now working for the Daily Prophet is assigned to cover their trial, things get rather twisted....
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own anything having to do with Harry Potter. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling who would most likely refuse to write again if she saw the things that we twisted fic authors put her characters through. The plot, however, is all mine, and so is Aurora (she doesn't come in for a while, but I refuse to write any more disclaimers so this one goes for the whole story).  
  
Warning: This story does contain slash!!!! If that is going to offend you, then don't read the story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you do insist on reading it and then getting mad at me for making them gay, you can't say I didn't warn you! I know the R rating isn't really appropriate for now, but it will be eventually.  
  
A/N: This is just the prologue to my actual story. The next chapter is a flashback explaining everything leading up to this point, and then the story restarts from this point. The next chapter is practically done, I just have to edit it.  
  
Harry opened his eyes. His entire body ached from sleeping on stone. What happened? Where was he? He looked around and realized he was in a cell, a prison cell. No, it wasn't possible. He couldn't be where he thought he was.  
  
In the opposite corner, his cellmate was awakening as well. The same basic thoughts were running through his head. He groaned as every muscle in his body began to announce that it was awake as well, and not very happy.  
  
When he heard noise coming from the other side of the cell, Harry turned his head to find its source.  
  
"Draco! You're awake. Do you know what happened?"  
  
"I was about to ask you the same thing. Where are we?"  
  
Harry paused, as the events of the past few days came back to him.  
  
"I think that we're in Azkaban." 


	2. Chapter 1

~*~Flashback~*~  
  
Ministry officials had burst in the door just as they were sitting down to breakfast.  
  
"Are you Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Draco Malfoy?"  
  
"Yes, why?"  
  
"You're under arrest."  
  
"Why?!"  
  
"Don't play dumb with us. You're Death Eaters."  
  
"What?! We're not Death Eaters! We act as spies for Dumbledore. Go find him and ask, he'll tell you that we're completely innocent."  
  
"Sirs, Albus Dumbledore was killed in an attack on Hogwarts last night. You must have known that, you being right in You-Know-Who's inner circle. Lying isn't going to save you. You're coming with us."  
  
They were too dumbfounded to hear the rest of what the official said. Dumbledore? Killed? How could they have not heard about this? Voldemort trusted them over any of his other followers; he had no idea that they reported his every movement to Dumbledore and his supporters. The Dark Lord had been so thrilled to put one over on Dumbledore like that by gaining Harry and Draco, two of the most powerful wizards to graduate Hogwarts, and they were both such good actors that he hadn't the faintest idea he was being double-crossed.  
  
"Sirs, please close your mouths and come with us."  
  
They got up and blindly followed the officials, still not believing what they had been told. They were under arrest after they had been risking their lives for the side of good? And Dumbledore was dead?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They had been given a private trial. No one was allowed to witness it aside from a few select Ministry workers and the guards. They had feared that it would be impossible to seat an unbiased jury, Harry being who he was and Draco being Lucius Malfoy's son. That was why they had decided to have the one person who would be completely unbiased control their fate, the man who everyone thought would be the Minister of Magic when Fudge finally cracked up (which most thought would be fairly soon). It was none other than Percy Weasley.  
  
No one at the Ministry was as obsessed with strict enforcement of every rule than Percy. He had been made the head of Magical Law Enforcement for that very reason and everyone thought he was a shoo-in for Minister. He was determined that what happened to Mr. Crouch would not happen to him, and you can imagine his surprise when he realized who he was trying.  
  
"Percy?!" gasped Harry.  
  
They hadn't seen each other in years. Harry, however, assumed that Percy was still as obsessed with rules as he always was. Draco knew how much the Weasleys had always hated anyone with the last name Malfoy, and simply decided that since Harry would undoubtedly get off while he would not, he would simply go insane in Azkaban. It seemed like the easiest route to take, and he knew that he couldn't last long without Harry by his side.  
  
"Percy, look, you know as well as anyone that we aren't actually Death Eaters? I would be the last person in the world to join Voldemort after all he's done to me, and I trust Draco with my life. I know that you don't, but just believe me that he's no more a Death Eater than I am."  
  
"I would appreciate it, Mr. Potter, if you would allow me to conduct this trial in an orderly fashion. Now sit down," Percy said forcefully.  
  
Harry fell back in his chair, stunned (A/N: no, not hexed, as in shocked). He had been so sure that Percy would believe him. Then he remembered something Ron had said during their fourth year. They had just met with Sirius and he had told them about Mr. Crouch throwing his own son to the dementors.  
  
****Flashback within a flashback****  
  
"Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?" Ron said. "But maybe he doesn't care..it'd probably make him admire Crouch even more. Yeah, Percy loves rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son."  
  
"Percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors" said Hermione sternly.  
  
"I don't know," said Ron. "If he thought we were standing in the way of his career..Percy's really ambitious you know.."  
  
****End flashback within larger flashback****  
  
  
  
A sigh escaped Harry's lips as his hopes plummeted. Being the Boy Who Lived wasn't going to help him now. He could tell that Percy was determined to become the Minister of Magic and that he would be damned if he allowed his little brother's best friend to keep him from that post. Harry could only hope that Percy remembered what happened to Crouch after he threw the wrong person into Azkaban.  
  
After what seemed like a ridiculously long trial to two men who knew that they were innocent, Percy seemed to have finally reached his decision.  
  
"Despite your numerous statements that you have been spying for Dumbledore and simply pretending to be Death Eaters, it is my firm opinion that you are living off the best of both worlds. You both are extremely close to both Dumbledore and Voldemort, giving you access to the deepest secrets of both parties. You may have been passing information to Dumbledore, but how are we to know that you weren't passing it to Voldemort as well. And if you truly are on our side, how come you didn't warn anyone about the recent attack on Hogwarts, which could have saved the lives of both Albus Dumbledore and Sirius Black?"  
  
Harry was shocked. He slumped into the chair, defeated. Sirius was dead as well? Two of the people whom he relied on most in the entire world, gone? Draco shook him gently to snap him out of his stupor.  
  
"Harry, Harry"  
  
Something inside Harry snapped. He refused to go to Azkaban for something he didn't do, that was beyond reasoning for him to even consider doing.  
  
"How dare you accuse me like that?! Voldemort killed my parents!!! Why would I join him?! Sirius was my last remaining link with them, and now you think I killed him too?! If I were a Death Eater, wouldn't that mean I hate anyone who's not a pureblood, meaning that I would despise one of my best friends?! I would never do anything to hurt Sirius, Dumbledore, or Hermione, ever!!!!!!"  
  
He collapsed hysterical onto the ground.  
  
"Harry, calm down, it's okay. I'm still here for you, and I'll never leave you."  
  
Draco attempted to calm Harry down. It tore him apart that Harry was in such pain, and he could do nothing to help him.  
  
After witnessing this one official remarked another, "Hmmm, most of them don't go insane until we actually put them in Azkaban. This one seems to be getting a head start."  
  
Percy surveyed the scene with fury radiating from him. How dare they question him like that? He refused to let them go, that could cost him his job and his reputation.  
  
"Guards, take them away. They both get a life sentence."  
  
He paused for a minute. He couldn't deny that he felt some degree of sympathy for the man who had crumpled onto the floor in front of him, who had he always thought was so strong. And he had been Ron's best friend after all.  
  
"Put them both in the same cell."  
  
With that, the guards pulled a sobbing Harry up off the ground and took him away, with Draco alongside him, reassuring him that they were going to be okay; although Draco couldn't deny the creeping feelings of defeat and agony slowly seeping through him.  
  
They were thrown into their cell and instantly passed out due to extreme mental and physical exhaustion.  
  
~*~End Flashback~*~  
  
A/N: That was much longer than my chapters usually are. I must have been making up for how short the last chapter was. This scenario seems very familiar (corporate ladder-climbing man throws innocent people to dementors to help career.). Oh well, I just finished rereading the 4th book in my attempt to get rid of my writer's block (and it worked too!), so what do you expect. This just goes along with something my history teacher once said, that "what we learn from history is that we don't learn from history". Poor Harry. I didn't mean to put him through that, it just kind of wrote itself. The next chapter will be posted soon, but in the meantime please please please write a review (I would demand a certain number of reviews before I post the next chapter, but I figure I should bring the story back to the present before doing that)!!!!!! So just be very nice readers and review the story, if you write a review and you're registered I promise to review one of your fics so this works for you too! 


	3. Chapter 2

//xxxxxx//=thought  
  
~*~xxxxxx~*~=changing time period  
  
"xxxxx"=spoken (duh)  
  
A/N: Just so no one's confused about why Harry hasn't passed out by now from the dementors, it's because there are no more dementors guarding Azkaban. The Ministry decided to finally listen to Dumbledore after they noticed a lot of the dementors missing as Voldemort's power grew, and some of the cells were suddenly empty as well. I'm not quite sure what they're using as guards now though, if you have any ideas please tell me.  
  
~*~Back to present~*~  
  
"I think that we're in Azkaban."  
  
Draco instantly sat up. "Azkaban? How? What?"  
  
Then he remembered what had happened.  
  
"Oh. But we're innocent! We didn't do anything! And, oh, Harry, I'm so sorry about what happened to Sirius. If I had heard anything, I would have done all I could to stop it."  
  
Harry put his head in his hands. Draco's comment had brought back the anguish he had been feeling the other day. "I just can't believe it. Dumbledore and Sirius are both dead, and we're in here for something we didn't do, and Percy's gone and done a Mr. Crouch. It's just so sudden. Two days ago we had no idea something like this would be coming, we thought that everything was okay. Hell, even yesterday I didn't think Percy would actually think we were true Death Eaters. And now I just found out that my two closest links to my family are dead, and that I could have prevented it. It's too much."  
  
(A/N: Don't ask where that comment about Percy doing a Mr. Crouch came from, because I have absolutely no clue)  
  
The blond crossed the cell to comfort him. "Harry, you couldn't have prevented it. If Voldemort had told anyone he would have told us. We'll find some way to get out of here. And I'll never leave you, I promise. I love you Harry Potter, and nothing is going to change that."  
  
Harry's startling emerald eyes were filled with agony as he looked up, and you could hear how much he was suffering through the raw emotion in his voice. "Forever? Because I've had enough pain Draco. Enough torment to last me through countless lifetimes. If you added to it by leaving me, I'd die. Because you're practically the only one I've got left, and I need you more than you will ever know."  
  
"Yes, forever. Harry, you're a part of me, forever and always. How could I ever leave myself?" Draco pulled Harry into a comforting embrace, wishing he could end the torture his boyfriend was going through.  
  
//Harry doesn't deserve to suffer this much. I won't ever let myself hurt him. He's had enough of that. And I'll kill anyone who tries.//  
  
A/N: Another short chapter ::sigh::. I seem to write a lot of those. I intended to make it longer, but the other chapter doesn't go well with this one, so I decided to separate them. I'm very proud of myself though, this is the second thing I've written that has made people cry (the other one was my story Could It Be Any Harder, it's actually one of the better things I've posted). They seem to like Harry's comment about forever. Ah well, whatever floats your boat. Next chapter up soon, until then please review!!!! 


	4. Chapter 3

~*~About 2 weeks later~*~  
  
Harry was pacing around the cell for about the billionth time, and it was driving Draco crazy.  
  
"Look, the shape of the cell isn't going to change. You're beginning to wear a path around the edge. Would you mind stopping for a little bit, you're making me dizzy."  
  
"Sorry Drac. I'm going to go insane if I'm stuck in here for much longer, it's so small."  
  
"It's okay. I know what you mean. Which is why we have to get out of here."  
  
"Well I knew that. You actually think I intended to stay here for the rest of my life? I think not. I am the great Harry Potter, I can do anything, even escape from the un-escapable Azkaban."  
  
Harry smiled after he said the last part, and then made an over-exaggerated bow. He had been attempting to make Draco laugh for days, and he had finally done it.  
  
"You're insane, you know that?"  
  
"Of course I do. But, my dragon, where is the fun in being sane?"  
  
Draco laughed again. He was thrilled to have the old Harry back, but he knew that Harry was still in a lot of pain from his godfather's death. Occasionally, the amazing green eyes that he had fallen in love with would fill with tears, and Harry would sob himself to sleep in Draco's arms. He would lay awake at night, while Harry tossed and turned. The comment Harry had made about forever haunted him.  
  
Occasionally Harry would cry out in his sleep and Draco would calm him down.  
  
//With a past like his, it's no wonder that he has such awful nightmares. I can only imagine how horrible they must be//.  
  
During the day, Harry would be his usual fun-loving self. But there was something in his eyes, a pain and sadness that Draco knew that no matter how hard he tried it would never be completely gone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Drac, we need to talk."  
  
"Aren't we talking right now?" They had been sitting on their cot, brainstorming ideas on how to escape, and the ideas were getting crazier and crazier by the minute. The last one they had was to learn how to transfigure themselves into beetles, so they could crawl out of the cell and then fly back to civilization.  
  
"No, I meant really talk."  
  
"Okay, go ahead."  
  
"I just want to thank you, for, well, everything. Like I said, I need you more than you will ever know, and you've been everything I ever needed or wanted. Whenever I needed strength you gave it to me, I've cried myself to sleep in your arms more times than I can even count. And that's one of the reasons I love you. Well that and your eyes, and your twisted sarcasm, and that grin you have that's so sexy it shouldn't be allowed, and how you're such a great kisser....."  
  
Harry was ticking off the things on his fingers, when he trailed off as he grinned wickedly at Draco.  
  
"Well, Harry, you say you love me, but can you prove it?"  
  
"I can certainly try" he said, his face centimeters away from his lovers as he pushed him back onto the cot before claiming Draco's mouth in a passionate kiss.  
  
A/N: Obviously I can't write long chapters. Oh well, no big deal. That just means that this story is going to have a ton of chapters. I can't leave them in Azkaban forever! I think I may have to change the rating on this story (sorry if I'm disappointing anyone, but this chapter was as graphic as I'm going to get, this isn't supposed to be a smutty story like some of my other ones were expected to be and I'm not in the right mood to write that kind of fic right now), and I'm toying with the idea of Animagi. What do you guys think? Please review!!!!!! 


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All the staff members of the Daily Prophet are mine; all else is J.K. Rowling's. Just figured I should restate that. Put away the lawyers, people!  
  
A/N: Look everyone; this fic actually has a new chapter! I apologize for any spelling/grammar/punctuation errors, I still have no beta-reader and my MSWord froze up on me so I have to use WordPad. Thanks to my few reviewers who make the time I spend writing when I should be studying worthwhile, especially to Eternal Firesinger (most of who's questions will be answered in this chapter) because of whom's awesome review I was inspired to finish this fic. I didn't think anyone even read this anymore, but I was proved wrong. Besides, I stole my friend Ross's pen again, so since he's going to be forced to review all my fics for the second time, I figured I'd be nice and post a few more chapters of the only one of my fics he actually likes. You so owe me now Ross (and your school supplies/LoTR books still aren't safe, my kleptomaniac tendencies tend to surface in 7th period!).  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Aurora Martinez walked into her office at the Daily Prophet followed by words of congratulations and fellow reporters telling her that they hated her. She was definitely getting the feeling that they knew something she didn't and was about to go and ask her editor. However, Erik came to her first.  
  
"Aurora, great, you're here! I've got a new assignment for you, you're going to love this one!"  
  
"Would this have anything to do with my fellow staffers expressing a sudden intense dislike for me?"  
  
"It was supposed to be a secret. Somehow they must have found out. Anyways, this could be it. It's phenomenal, really it is!"  
  
"Erik, if I am stuck covering another talk about cauldron thickness I'm going to quit and you'll be one reporter short and you'll have lost one of the only members of your staff who does not require the editors to make her copy halfway decent."  
  
"Oh no no. This is much bigger than cauldrons."  
  
"Let me guess, the makers of Firebolts have gone insane and decided to put a hurling hex on all of their brooms, thus killing off all those Quidditch players."  
  
Her sarcasm was lost on the cheery editor. As one of the few Hogwarts graduates that had been in Slytherin and not become a Death Eater, she figured she had a right to be cynical.  
  
"No no no. This is front page news, headline even."  
  
"Then let me have my moment of glory already."  
  
"Okay, here's the story. You know who Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are, right?"  
  
"I was in the same year as Draco at school, and everyone knows who Harry Potter is. If this is just some stupid survey, I think I'll pass on the assignment."  
  
"Let me finish here."  
  
"I'm not stopping you."  
  
As one of the only good reporters on the newspaper staff, she could afford to talk to her boss like that. She knew that she wasn't expendable, and could therefore be as sarcastic as she wished.  
  
"Well, there was an attack on Hogwarts yesterday, as you know. Unfortunately, it didn't happen on our deadline, so it's going in today's paper."  
  
Erik seemed more disappointed at the fact that the attack didn't occur on the newspaper deadline than the fact that it happened at all.  
  
"Yes, I knew that. I thought you gave that assignment to Shiara though."  
  
Shiara Anduril was the only other decent reporter on the staff, and was also a Hogwarts graduate. She had become friends with Aurora as a result of their working together on the newspaper. Although the two had been in the same year at school, Shiara had been in Ravenclaw.  
  
"I did give her that assignment. But, they've caught two of the Death Eaters who weren't involved directly but could have prevented it. You'll never guess these ones."  
  
"I'll just take a wild guess. Hmm. Parkinson?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Zabini?"  
  
"Nowhere close."  
  
After naming a few more Slytherins she had known that were notorious Death Eaters who, in some way, had weaseled their way out of Azkaban, she gave up and just began naming random names. After a while she just gave up.  
  
"Look Erik, if you'd just tell me already!"  
  
"Oh come on, one more guess."  
  
As if it were the most ridiculous thing on earth and with no small amount of sarcasm, she responded.  
  
"Harry Potter."  
  
"Bingo!"  
  
"What? That's ridiculous! The Boy Who Lived, Golden Boy of Hogwarts, a Death Eater?"  
  
"Both he and his boyfriend."  
  
"Potter's got a boyfriend?"  
  
"Yeah, that Draco Malfoy you said you knew."  
  
The dark-haired journalist paused for a moment. Since she had been Draco's best friend, she knew that he had liked Harry for quite a while. Though after Christmas break 6th year their relationship had seemed to change, he had never told her anything about a relationship. If they were dating, they had been doing a very good job at keeping it hidden."  
  
"Oh. So what does this have to do with this 'great new assignment' you promised me?"  
  
"Well, they were convicted as Death Eaters. They said they were working as spies for Dumbledore; however, he was killed in the attack on Hogwarts along with Sirius Black. You know, the convicted murderer who was really innocent, Harry's godfather, who was at Hogwarts on business for the Order of the Phoenix. It's a shame we can't cover the Order, it would make a great story…"  
  
Sensing her boss was about to go on about what a shame it was that freedom of the press was so infringed upon during these times, she interrupted.  
  
"So Black and Dumbledore were killed, Draco and Potter are convicted as Death Eaters, and my assignment is…?"  
  
"Ah, yes. The Head Of Magical Law Enforcement, Weatherby or something, has convicted them to a life sentence in Azkaban. Rick Telman's already got photographs from the trial and an audio transcript of the examination. I want a whole story. Photos, interrogation, human interest, Azkaban insights, the works. Your deadline is tomorrow, so get to work. Maybe you could go visit them in prison, they should still be sane. Have fun!"  
  
Her only response was to grab her bag and stand up.  
  
"Bye Erik, I'm off to the Ministry and then to Azkaban."  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Aurora was encountering some degree of difficulty entering Azkaban. She had been through at least 10 security checkpoints already, and that was after she had to convince them to just let her in the prison. Azkaban guards did not like journalists. Although the prison had been removed from the Dementor's control soon after Voldemort had returned to power, there were so many powerful spells guarding the prisoners that unless they possessed extremely potent magic, they most likely went insane.  
  
"I'm with the Daily Prophet, I'm running an article on the trial. Can I please pay a visit to Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy?"  
  
"Press badge?"  
  
She dug her badge out of her bag and waved it in front of the guard's nose. The former Slytherin was getting rather tired of showing the damn thing.  
  
"Here. Happy? Can you please take me to their cell now?"  
  
"Follow me."  
  
Aurora followed the official down the long, cold corridors of the prison. They finally made it down to the area where the maximum-security cells were and he unlocked the door to one of them.  
  
"Thank you. Come back in two hours please."  
  
He simply grunted his assent and she turned to face the two men that she had gone to school with.  
  
"Hello there Draco, Potter."  
  
A/N: Whew, that chapter was *long*. Damn. I would write more on this chapter, but then it would be waaay too long and I don't write long chapters, as you all know. I'll post the next chapter soon, okay? Very soon, as in like less than 15 minutes. Don't forget to review and make all the time I spent working on this worthwhile! 


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Here ya go, chapter 5. Nothing to say, since I'm posting this so soon after chapter 4. I'm sure I'll have something to say by the end of the chapter though.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
"Hello there Draco, Potter."  
  
The two men turned to face her.  
  
"Aurora?! What are you doing here?"  
  
"As one of the Daily Prophet's star reporters, I get to cover your trial. Lucky me, eh? Why didn't you ever tell me that you were dating him?" she asked, gesturing in Harry's direction.  
  
"Hello Martinez. Nice to see you haven't changed."  
  
"Hi to you too Potter. I didn't know you and Draco were dating, as is obvious. Came as a bit of a shock when I found out from my boss. Ah well, it'll only serve to make my story more interesting. I can see the headline now 'Golden Boy Who Loved Boys And Muggle Torture'"  
  
The only response she got was a death glare sent at her from behind a pair of glasses.  
  
"Aurora, don't."  
  
She grumbled unhappily.  
  
"Ruin all my fun Malfoy. Besides, I'm not *that* cruel."  
  
"I thought that you journalists were always out for a good story."  
  
"You know what, on second thought, maybe I am. We journalists are ruthless in our search for stories, and combine that with the fact I was in Slytherin…"  
  
"Martinez!"  
  
"Fine, fine. I won't make that my headline, okay?"  
  
"Good."  
  
She sat herself down on the cot next to the two prisoners.  
  
"So, are you guys really Death Eaters?"  
  
"Oh, of course. I was just desperate to go and join up with the wizard who killed my parents and ruined my life, and then go kill my last links with them. It was just a dream come true hearing that Sirius was dead, right Draco? Oh yes, I partied for days after hearing that one. And I never really liked Dumbledore anyways, or muggle-borns either. Hermione was just one of the worst friends anyone could ever ask for. Any other idle questions?"  
  
Aurora looked at the black-haired man sitting on the cot with no small amount of amusement in her dark eyes.  
  
"You sound like one of us Potter."  
  
"What, a nosy, cynical journalist?"  
  
"No, a Slytherin. I always thought you should have been in our house. Take that as a compliment."  
  
Draco interrupted.  
  
"Aurora, stop making stupid inquiries. You know perfectly well that we're not Death Eaters."  
  
"Then tell me Draco, why are you in here?"  
  
"Oh, because we asked to be. We simply begged those Ministry officials to interrupt our peaceful morning and completely fuck up our lives. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend their entire life in a place like this?"  
  
He gestured around the cell.  
  
"A glimpse of the Draco we know and love. You two are beginning to talk alike, you know that?"  
  
The blond rolled his eyes.  
  
"That's nice. I thought I told you to stop asking stupid questions Martinez."  
  
She held up her hands in protest.  
  
"Fine, fine. Now I have a deadline of, oh, lets see, less than 24 hours, so if it's not too much time out of what I'm sure is a jampacked schedule for you two, can I get some material for a story here?"  
  
Harry sighed and got up off the cot.  
  
"You can talk to her Draco. In the meantime, I'll go and draw patterns in the sand on the floor, okay?"  
  
"Harry…"  
  
"She's your friend, you deal with her. I'm sick of reliving that day, so I'm going to sit as far away as possible and attempt to block you two out."  
  
The injured look in his emerald eyes struck one of Aurora's nerves.  
  
"Look, *Harry*, I didn't ask for this assignment okay? To me, the idea of you being a Death Eater is as farfetched as Draco here strutting around in pink satin pants and a shirt that says 'I'm A Proud Gryffindor Supporter'. But I need a story, otherwise I lose my job. I know that what happened must have been painful for you, so just try to ignore us if you want to."  
  
"Wow, a Slytherin being nice. Will wonders never cease."  
  
"You caught me on a good day. Besides, no one deserves to go through what you've been forced to. Here." She tossed him a set of earplugs. "The reporter who's desk is closest to mine has awful taste in music that he plays at full volume," she explained. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to try and write with the Brooksdown Banshees blasting in your ears?" she added with a grin. "The office is not the best place for implementing a silencing charm."  
  
"Thanks Aurora."  
  
Harry put the earplugs in and crossed to the other side of the cell.  
  
"Now, Draco, I need an interview, otherwise I really am going to lose my job. Care to share?"  
  
"Do I have a choice?"  
  
"Mmm, not really."  
  
As she spoke, she pulled a piece of parchment and a quill out of her bag.  
  
"I didn't think so. Is that a Quick-Notes Quill?"  
  
"Yes, but not like Rita's. This one just writes down exactly what you say. Keeps me from getting writer's cramp. Aurora Martinez, Daily Prophet Reporter," she stated to get the quill started.  
  
"Now, Draco, if you don't mind…"  
  
"Well, it all started when these Ministry officials came in just as we were sitting down to breakfast…"  
  
When he finally finished his story Aurora just looked at him. For the first time in her life she was speechless.  
  
"Wow," she said when she finally regained her voice. Draco just looked at her with a pained expression in his silvery eyes.  
  
"That enough of a story for you?"  
  
"I'm so sorry."  
  
"Don't be."  
  
She gathered up her notes and stuck the quill back in her back.  
  
"I've got to go write my article now. I'll come back and visit you soon, without my boss telling me to. Bye Draco."  
  
"Bye."  
  
On her way out she tapped Harry on the shoulder. He pulled the earplugs out of his ears.  
  
"I see why you didn't want to have to hear that interview. Sorry for rubbing salt in the wound by showing up. Bye Harry."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Oh," she added to both of them, "I'm glad you two have each other. You have all my best wishes for a happy future together, hopefully one out of here. Who knows, maybe the pen really is mightier than the sword if you're lucky."  
  
With that, she followed the guard out of the cell. Harry returned to the cot and asked, with a puzzled expression on his face, "What did she mean by 'the pen really is mightier than the sword if you're lucky'?"  
  
"I'm not sure," responded Draco, "but whatever it is, it can't hurt."  
  
~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Whew! Yet another long chapter! There must be something wrong with me for giving you guys such long chapters one after the other. Well, I did make you wait awhile for them though. So I guess this makes up for that long wait. Just for your own personal information, Aurora, Draco, and Harry are early-mid twenties in this fic. Use your own imagination for their actual age. As for the earplugs, I figured that all the Daily Prophet employees would try to set up silencing charms and that may upset the editors, so silencing charms were banned. Okay, that's all for now. Oh, and we will be hearing from Ron and Hermione soon. Just be patient. Don't forget to review!!!!! Reviews are what keep me writing and give me my inspiration!!!!! 


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